Wairakei

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 344, 4 October 1932, Page 8

Wairakei

The one day Wairakei trip com- 1 mands special attention bscause of gj the wide variety of sights included |1 in the tour. The journey there and §j back covers*,120' miles, but is made || under conditions of comfort that ren- || der * fatigue impossible. The first @ fifteen miles have already been cov- |] ered on the Round Trip; thence the || car strikes into the very centre of 11 the Thermal Regions, and traverses i country that bears every mark of M frequent and violent volcanic action. 11 Rainbow Mountain derives its name 1 from the irridescence of colour in || stone and sand that decorates its |i slopes, over 100 tints having been ,gj distinguished. The vicinity of Rain- J§ bow Mountain is very active, the reg- | ion meriting special notice because | here the earth's crust is perilously j weak and thin, scientists contending j that the earth's internal fires ap- l proach within near distance of the | surface. These conditions prevail | over the wide extent of the Reporoa | Plains, and although not spectacular, -j are potentially dangerous. The first | important sight to be gained as the | car enters the Taupo district is the | Aratiatia cataract, a whirling, foam- | ing rush of water which exemplifies jj not only majesty, but strength. No- | thing can resist a torrent of such | magnitude, which the tourist views | j in perfect safety from a rock plat- i form pitched in the very centre of jj the rapids, the water crashing and i roaring at his feet. The Huka Falls | have been described as the prettiest ; sight in the North Island; the rush j of water along the rock chasm as j it approaches the falls, furnishing a | thrilling spectacle. The Waikato j River, perhaps the most ancient in s the world, flows through a gorge hol- | lowed out in the Course of ages to j an actual depth in parts of 150 feet. S Across Lake Taupo on a clear day jj the three mountain ranges, snow-cov- | ered and of dazzling whiteness, stand ij silhouetted against a background of | deepest blue. The mountains com- ij prise the National Park, and include the three famous summits of Tonga- j riro, Ruapehu, and Ngauruhoe. The jj last-named, Ngauruhoe, is in frequent ] eruption, the cumulous black cloud 2 of smoke standing in sharp contrast jj to the mantle of snow beneath. The | immensity of Lake Taupo can only ^ be appreciated by a visit to its jj shores. It receives as tributaries the waters of twenty-six rivers, the Wai- j; lcato River being the only outlet. ; 1 The Geyser Valley contains an im- | j pressive display of thermal acthnty. $ j Included in the sights are Cham- j | pagne Pool in violet agitation with | j intense heat, the Dragon's Mouth, the | I Eagle's Nest, Pink Terrace, fairy $ ] pools in every hue, and geysers which | j play strictly to timetable. The di- \ I versity of sights and experiences on | j this trip gives it premier place j I among the world's great tourist at- } i tractions. S 1